Former state legislator Gilbert Baker resigned Wednesday, effective immediately, from his position at the University of Central Arkansas. The university released a one-line statement announcing Baker's resignation.

Having been fined $11,000 by the Arkansas Ethics Commission for violating 11 state campaign and ethics provisions, Lt. Gov. Mark Darr clings stubbornly to his pretty good gig despite the calls to resign from even a fair number of Republicans, including all five GOP members of the state’s congressional delegation.

Stephens Inc. of Little Rock has accused Arkansas Securities Commissioner Heath Abshure of illegally steering more than $170,000 to his “favorite charities” and of retaliating when Stephens refused to make such a donation while negotiating a recent settlement.

Documents released by the Arkansas Ethics Commission show that a former state lawmaker who resigned over violations could only identify less than a quarter of the $63,000 his campaign spent as legitimately related to his re-election bid.

The Arkansas Ethics Commission says it's looking into a complaint that Lt. Gov. Mark Darr spent hundreds of dollars from his campaign at restaurants, gas stations and retail stores and illegally classified them as fundraising expenses.

Arkansas Lt. Gov. Mark Darr filed an ethics complaint against himself on Friday over hundreds of dollars his campaign spent at gas stations and restaurants shortly after he took office that were classified as fundraising expenses. Meanwhile, the lawyer who first questioned the spending said he's also filed a complaint with the panel over the reports.

Paul Bookout, a Democratic state senator from northeast Arkansas, resigned after an ethics panel said he spent thousands of dollars from his re-election campaign on personal items such as women's clothing and home theater equipment. "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the state of Arkansas," Bookout, who's been in the Senate since 2006, wrote.